LAS VEGAS--Everybody walking by the CTA Digital booth at CES 2013 does a double-take at a colorful plastic object on the ground. They stop and stare. They take pictures. One woman declares it the best thing she's seen at CES. It's the iPotty for iPad, a toilet-training device for digitally connected kids. It's a fairly straightforward potty trainer with a holder designed for the iPad.

Note the splash guard on the iPad holder. (Clickk to enlarge.)
Amanda Kooser/CNET

The first thing I look for is splash protection for the tablet and, fortunately, it's there in the form of a plastic sheet that fits over the iPad. There's a lid that turns the contraption into a seat. There's also a pee guard for the boys. All of it comes apart for cleaning.

There isn't a specific app to go with the $40 toilet, but parents can use any of the several options already available in the App Store. The idea is to get the kid to stay on the loo for as long as it takes to get the job done. Entertaining the little ones with an iPad may not be the worst way to achieve this goal.

With all of the buzz, lights, glitz, and gadgets flooding the show floor at CES, it's heartening to know that a clever collection of plastic combined with the star power of Apple's flagship tablet can still turn heads.

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About the author

Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET's Crave blog. When not wallowing in weird gadgets and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
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